


When Red Taints Blue

by lilac_red



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers, Latin Hetalia - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Cardverse, Explicit Language, F/M, Forbidden Love, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-01
Updated: 2016-01-14
Packaged: 2018-05-10 20:12:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5599315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilac_red/pseuds/lilac_red
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hello!! <br/> I'm sorry I haven't updated my other story "When Blue Taints Red" but I have a very good reason! I wanted that story to focus on Canada and Mexico's relationship solely however in order to do so, I need to have this story explain more about Isabella's past and leading up to her kidnapping. I promise I won't make this long and when I finish I'll finally be able to update the other story!!!!</p><p>Please bare with me and enjoy this more innocent story!!!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_¨You can't catch me!¨ The joyful voice of a child rang across the tree-less field._

_"Oh, yes we can! Come on Mattie! Let's get him!" Another voice, higher than the first, cheered._

_"Right!" The last voice exclaimed as he followed the second to catch the first._

_Voices belonging to 3 children; one girl and two boys. Both boys had an uncanny resemblance except for their eyes and the type of hair that seemed to stick out of their heads. The girl was the complete opposite of the two (appearance wise); Curly dark brown hair and skin a few shades darker than tan. Despite the lack of sibling resemblance in their outward appearance, the three shared an extraordinary bond that flowed not only in their blood but eyes. Their beautiful blue eyes.  
_

_The girl and one of the boys, Mattie, succeeded in tackling the other boy to the ground. Their bodies were on top of the other, but no cries or protests came from him, only foolish child laughter of being stopped from his other two siblings. The other two joined in with his laughter and their giggling caused them to roll off of him and on either side of the first boy._

_Their uncontrollable giggles slowly ceased. Leaving each child sprawled on the grass with the tips of their fingers only inches away from each other. Small, comfortable smiles met the faces of the two look-alike brothers while the smile on the sister took a little longer to form. The clouds in the sky looked bigger and fluffier than usual but they served to cover up the beating sun from the three children._

_"Hey guys..." The sister broke the silence. The two brothers moved their gazes an themselves to their sister, patiently waiting for her to continue._

_The little sister gripped her worn blue skirts with a tiny hand,"We'll always be together... No matter what, right?"_

_Without hesitation, both boys answered," Of course, we will!"_

_"... No matter what?"_

_"No matter, what!"_

~

"Isabella! Isabella! Ve~ Are you awake?" A man, Italian, knocked on the red painted double doors of the room frantically. He was a very nervous man who, for some reason, always carried a flag with the kingdom's national symbol on it. His outfit was rather unusual with looking more like a jester with his red puffy sleeves and pink puffy thighs and rather large burae hat," Breakfast is almost ready and the King and Queen are waiting for us."

"Of course, I'm awake, Feliciano," Isabella answered behind the frantic man, only to cause him to shriek and turn around.

" _Bella_!" He teared up," Don't scare me like that!"

"I'm sorry, Feliciano," The woman, dressed in pink skirts, black tights, and a large deep-red colored ruffled trench coat, apologized.

"I-It's okay, but... Where were you? Breakfast is almost ready and I thought..." He didn't finish as he looked at anywhere but the woman's eyes. The hibiscus perched on her ear did not suit her at all, he noticed.

"... I won't..." She sighed, taking the flower out of her hair so his attention was on her," I was just coming back from the laundry room to retrieve my gloves," she showed the man the red gloves covering her hands," the servants really know how to get rid of any stain!" She said merrily with a smile.

"Yeah..."

"Well, let's go to the dinning room, we don't want to keep their Majesties waiting," she moved to the right of the Italian man and headed for the next turn.

"W-Wait, Isabella," the man exclaimed. He jogged trying to catch up to her inhumanely fast pace.

"Hmm? Yes?" She asked stopping to wait for him on the edge of the descending stairs.

"A-Are you... Doing... Okay?" He asked back, the grip on his flag tightened a little as he looked into her eyes.

The confused look on the woman named Isabella quickly morphed into a smile," Of course, why wouldn't I?"

"Because..." Feliciano's eyes left Isabella's face and the grip on the flag only tightened. His gaze returned to the blue eyes that stared at him as he answered, in a strangely proud way," You are the Ace of the Heart's kingdom."


	2. News

_"Long ago, there was a giant mass of land called Pangea. Now, I know what you're thinking, sounds familiar right? But, no it didn't break part, it was giant mass held firmly together, plus, there was something unique about the land._

_The land was, in a way, divided, but by color. Blue adorned the Western area of the giant mass, followed by the rich yellow of the north. Green was primary on the east and red, important, in the south._

_Soon these colorful masses of land would be known as the Four Kingdoms: The Spades or Blue kingdom, Diamond or yellow kingdom, Club or green Kingdom, and Heart or red Kingdom, by the inhabitants of the lands._

_No one really knew how, when, or why the Kingdoms were named after a deck of cards. It might be because of the strange symbols of a spade, heart, club, or diamond that appeared on a select four during the time of our evolution. We will discuss the number symbols 1-10  also known as the parliament in the next lesson. But today we will learn about the royal deck.  
_

_The King and Queen, with a mutual inseparable bond holding them together, be it love or ambition,_ _are the law. They have the final word in each and every decision made for the Kingdom. Each have their own uniqueness of course, but that is something they only know and develop with their mentors. However, I do know one thing and that is that their abilities are different in each kingdom. Getting back on topic, their symbols are somewhere on there bodies with a respected capital 'K' or 'Q' on top of their countries brand._

_The Jack, the trusted adviser of the their Majesties who foresees decisions with the king in politics; they are quite mysterious indeed but whatever they dabble in on their free time is of no concern to the kingdom as long as they make the people happy. Their symbol lies on their body with a respected 'J' on the brand.  
_

_Now finally, the Ace. The Aces are... Different. Not very much is written about them because they refrain from ever speaking openly; I should know, I've tried to learn about them before but never got much. What I did learn from the few who spoke was that Ace's are trained from the moment the mark appears on their skin. Generally, they are put in charge of the armies in case of war, training and all; however, I heard that they would do anything for their King or Queen even at the cost of their own lives.... Their symbols are more elaborate and designed, at least that is what history says from past aces. And like the King, Queen, and Jack, the symbol has a giant 'A' on top of the kingdom's symbol._

_Each title has a role to play and each role has a person that helps keep balance in the kingdom; like a family! The father is the moneymaker, the mother is the caregiver, and the children are their joy or stress. So each and every person in the royal deck is crucial. Who knows what would happen if someone were to be missing.  
_

_And that, your future highness Alfred, Matthew, and Isabella, is the end of our first lesson. Now on to the next--"_

~

A servant, dressed in the coordinating colors of the Heart Kingdom, silently served the hot liquid from the kettle to the king, a blonde, blue-eyed man. The queen, a short, raven haired man with a permanently stoic expression, sat to the right of the king; his pale hands used the fine silverware to cut his meal. Neither was good at starting-up casual conversations, they could engage in one but not start it, and even less with each other because of their very serious personalities.

The silence, though appreciated at times, was awkward. Usually, around this time, the Jack and Ace would be the ones making the conversations and creating the friendly-welcoming atmosphere with the serious King and Queen. However, they were running late for breakfast this morning, and the Majesties silently prayed for them to hurry.

The giant double doors of the dinning room creaked opened. A guard, guarding the dinning room's entrance, entered with an apologetic looking Jack and Ace," Good morning, My King and Queen," The Ace bowed and the Jack awkwardly copied her movements," I'm sorry we're late," The guard left at that point.

The King and Queen stared at their Jack and Ace in confusion," Oh... That's... fine. Come and join us," The King gestured to the seats near him and the Queen around the very long table. The Jack took no hesitation in skipping happily on the empty left seat next to the King.

The Ace on the other hand stayed by the door, her eyes scanned the room and rested on the servant. Noticing her gaze, the King sent the servant away to bring out two more plates of food. The servant bowed and left the room, his shoes softly tapping on the polished burgundy floor. Once he was gone, the King turned back to his Ace that was walking around the room," What are you doing, Isabella?" The King asked informally to the pacing girl.

"I'm looking for a fine place to sit, my King," Isabella responded, taking a blind eye on the perplexed looks the three men were giving her. She continued her trip around the rectangular room until settling down on the furthest seat, directly across from the king.

She smiled at the confused men and placed her hands on her lap, patiently waiting for the servant with her plate. The Queen cleared his throat, a clear indication of someone wanting to speak; however, he would not get to because the servant had come back with a tray of plates with today's breakfast: fluffy waffles with jam, and the Jack and Ace's respected drinks.

He poured the kKing a final cup of coffee and the Queen her tea before bowing and leaving the room once again.

Once she was sure the servant was out of ears-reach, Isabella let out a loud, exasperated sigh, startling the three men and used her gloved hands to cover her face,"Ah~ I'm sorry about that odd display guys," she said as she grabbed her plate and moved to sit next to Feliciano. She placed her face in her hands and sighed again.

"Ve~ Bella?" Feliciano called out to the girl next to him while rubbing small circle on her back.

"Are you alright?" The Queen worriedly asked while debating if he should get out of her seat or not.

"Is everything alright?" The King, with the same worried expression as the Jack and Queen, inquired.

"... For now," Isabella spoke and unburied herself from her hands and straightened her posture, trying to look dignified. She smiled at the Queen and Feliciano, a signal that she was fine. Her eyes then locked with the Kings," Last night, an informant from the Spade's Kingdom-"

"Spade's?" The Queen croaked slightly as Feliciano jumped.

"Just an informant, I assure you," Isabella looked at the Queen with a sad tint in her eyes, then back at the King," the informant said that the Spade's Ace found tiny recording devices throughout the castle. They don't know when they were put up or by whom. However, they said we should be cautious when speaking in order for valuable information to not leak by an enemy." She looked over the clouded expressions of the three men before her, then with a light sigh, she changed her posture so she was leaning slightly over the table. Her hands were lace and under her chin in a sort of propping position.

"Or it could just be someone trying to listen on the newest royal gossip around, like the Diamond kingdom. Lord only knows, how much time and money the yellow king has to waste," She made a face at the end of her rant, one that had a mixture of disgust and annoyance with a fake shudder.

The three men stifled their laughs except for Feliciano who laughed openly at the joke. With a more happy, childish smile Isabella took a bite of her food and started mindless chatter with Feliciano, Ludwig, and Kiku. The atmosphere within the room became bright family-like, in a way, as smiles, laughs, and scolding were shared by the four (when they were the only ones in there room).

"So your brother is coming today, Feliciano?" Ludwig asked as he sipped his coffee.

"Si! It's his turn to deliver mail to the castle today, so he'll be here for sure! He even said we could hang out once he was done!" Feliciano cheered with arms up in the air, his cheering caused him to spill some jam on his face. Though, it made the Ace want to scream at the very idea of their Jack taking time to "hang out" with someone during this literal life-or-death period for _Heart's_ , she knew Feliciano needed the distraction.

So, Isabella chuckled as she used a napkin to clean his face. Her eyes momentarily flickering to Ludwig who already had a napkin in hand, probably with the same intention as her. Her eyes then flickered back to the Italian's face whose honey colored eyes looked sadly at her with a thank you," Lovi says he has a present for you from Antonio," She nodded and smiled happily at the thought of her only other family member caring for her.

Isabella moved away from Feliciano and looked at the time from the sun," I better be on my way to check on the training regimen for the Heart's army," Isabella stood from her stray and kissed The Jack's cheek," Have fun today, Feli," she moved to the king and did the same," Good luck with the King of Clubs, Ludwig," she then moved to the Queen, Isabella hesitated a little before moving her lips close to his cheeks," I'll see you for tea time, Kiku," With a smile and a bow she walked out of the room before going on a full on sprint.

"Don't forget your gun!" Ludwig, Kiku, and Feliciano  called out after the Ace. They prayed she would be alright and nothing bad would happen.

~

 _I won't,_ the Ace thought as she pulled the trigger of her weapon. The trees around her location muffled the sound and a small breeze carried the remaining resonance away. She stood in an opened field at the border between red and blue.

You were wrong, teacher. An Ace doesn't risk its own life for the King or Queen... They risk the lives of others.

A body fell to the ground, limp and unmoving; and like always, her aim was impeccable. The Ace, unshaken by the soulless person a few feet from her, looked up at the rustling red trees. There was no point in hiding. Closing her eyes, she cut off all her senses but the sixth, the Ace's. With a sharp intake of air, she pulled the trigger again.

 

 


	3. Mail Man

"How are they fairing with the new training schedule, General?" Isabella asked as she saw hundreds upon hundreds of men, young and old, gathered in the most barren part of red's land, Loveless Valley. A space hidden between one high mountain where the number of trees could be counted on one hand and camps were pooled at the center.

The person she was addressing was also a man about the same height as her. He was blonde with violet eyes on an adorable face and skinny frame. Appearance wise, he was like a bunny with big floppy ears, but when he is forced to use force he will show no mercy just like his father, a good friend of her mentor, showed him, "It came as a shock to them this morning when they saw the number of runs doubled, but they're adapting," the man said with a faint upturn on his lips as he grabbed the clip board and handed it to her.

"Hmm..." Isabella checked the numbers, noticing the overall productivity result of each knight had decreased from 85% to 65% since this morning,"I see this weeks snipers and weapon makers have been acting lazy... Perhaps they need a little stimulation... When does the day end?"

"At 2100 hours."

"How many men in all?"

"Sergeants included?" She nodded, "Ten thousand."

With a nod of her head the Ace placed the clipboard back on the General's desk, impressed by how the Finnish man could answer so promptly. Then she turned and walked back to stare at the knights running again, " I need you to prepare a list containing the names of the seven best men and seven worst men based on their progress reports by this afternoon. Can you do that?"

"Yes, I can start on it right away."

"I'll also need all activity to stop today at 1600, so the 6,000 snipers and weapon makers need to be informed and present at said time."

"I just sent a telegram to the Sergeants in charge."

"Take the 4,000 knights into the woods, they'll have a light medical lesson from the royal doctor and Queen. The remaining 6,000 will be sparing with you and the sergeants of your choice."

"Sounds like fun!" The Finnish man exclaimed, a twinkle in his violet orbs, "Will you be partaking tonight's lesson, Heart's Ace?"

The Ace gave him her own eerie smirk, " Sadly, no. As much as I want to partake in tonight's activity, I will be busy having my own good time with the 14 individuals you selected."

"Too bad," the General pouted, " It would have been nice to see you whoop some of the cocky ones into submission," they both chuckled, " but consider it done."

"Then I'll take my leave. I have a very important invite to attend to," Isabella walked until she reached the doorway, " thank you, Tino," and she was gone.

"You're welcome, Isabella."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Isabella stood inside the royal garden where various plants of her liking grew. Red tulips, pink peonies, birds of paradise, lycoris flowers, and almost every shade of pink or red flower flourished within the miles of greenery. 

_I wonder what kind of_ _red_ _flower Antonio brought me this time_ , a ghost of smile lingered on her lips as she thought of her half-brother. They looked a lot alike, from their tan skin to their curly hair (though hers was long) and though they only met once she was discovered as the Heart's Ace, they got along very well and also shared a mutual fascination with plants. Well, he was a landscaper after all and is highly recommended by nobles in all Kingdoms. Even if they were both busy, Antonio made up their loss time by bringing her a flower to think of him. _But I'm sure... it wouldn't compare to a Spade's rose..._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_"Arthur, why are roses Spade's select flower?" Isabella asked in the gardens one day. It was a lovely day and all the more with the news that their afternoon classes had been canceled because their tutor was currently at his expecting wife's side; the two silently prayed that the baby come out healthy. Dejectedly, eight-year-old Alfred still had his lessons, being the future Spade's King was stressful, and eight-year-old Matthew, the newly awakened Spade's Ace, had gone off with his mentor to who knows where. However, they usually come around dinner time._

_Leaving Isabella alone with the recently discovered Spade's Queen, who was a boy_ _in fact not a girl at all_ _. An eleven-year-old boy with untamed golden hair, fair complexion, slim body, long eyelashes, pink lips, charming eyebrows, and a set of jewel-green eyes. To the young girl, and secretly Alfred, Arthur was the perfect combination of_ _both a_ _prince and princess with._ _In short he was beautiful, More so when_ _he smiled._

_"Do you not like the roses?" He stopped trimming the bushes and looked at the young girl next to him with furrowed brows and worried filled eyes._

_"No, no, I like them," She quickly denied,"It's just... I was wondering...," Isabella focused her attention on_ _a_ _particular flower; twisted spiral of soft dark-blue petals, fragrant, and as big as her six-year-old fist, "why are they so special to Spade's?"_

_"Ah," Arthur set his gaze, a slightly mournful gaze, on the same rose, " Do you know what they're called, the roses I mean?"_

_"They're called... The King's rose, correct?"_

_"Correct. Did you know that roses used to be_ _white?" He asked, his green eyes never leaving the flower_ _._

_"White? " Her voice squeaked as tiny hands grabbed fistfuls of her dress, containing her excitement. Never had the young girl heard, much less seen, of roses being any other color than midnight blue, " Really?"_

_Arthur nodded and began caressing_ _it's petals_ _, "It was many years ago, when the 5th King was one step away from death's door alone. The Queen had left him a two days prior, in the same bed but with an expression of pure peace as she held his hand but never opened the eyes he grew to love. The fifth King and Queen were a true destined pair, friends from birth, a couple through childhood, and husband and wife beyond coronation. One day, as the King laid in his bed he said to his foot boy,_ _and soon to be 6th King,_ _'bring me to the place my wife loved so,' and so the foot-boy did. He carried the King all the way to the garden with the help of the other servants and guards, "My beloved Queen, I can not find words to describe how much I miss you,' he said as he looked upon the garden where a single bush of white roses bloomed, ' however, I am able to express my sorrow by becoming a part of something you once held dearly; so that I may feel like we are one again,' And with his last ounce of power as the King of Spade's he turned the roses blue. Does that answer your question?"_

_"It does. However... why isn't the rose called the Queen's rose? Since, I believe, the King changed its color for her, because he loved her." She brought her hand to her chin and titled her head._

_Arthur sighed, " I have to agree with you because, in truth, I also find it odd, but no; just like the Kingdom of Spade's, the blue rose represents power. Because, in their minds, what the 5th King did was considered a feat of Spade's true_ _domination over all things_ _."_

_Isabella pouted, " A blue rose represents power... I wonder what kind of rose represents love then..." She crossed her arms over her chest and pursed her lips more._

_Seeing her face full of contemplation, Arthur got an idea. Carefully, he plucked the rose the young girl had her eyes on and cleaned its stem. After he deemed the picked plant safe, the boy lowered himself, and ever so gently tucked the Spade's rose behind her ear, bringing the girls attention back on him._

_"_ _Just as I thought," the future Queen said contently catching a loose strand of girl's brown hair, "It suits you," he tucked the strand away._ _He smiled lovingly at her and she blushed._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Her eyes swept through the many plants before settling on a particular bed. She crouched and with a gloved hand caressed the few petals of a lone poppy. The poppy wasn't too big or too small, it glistened by the new morning's dew, and it was the first to bloom. It only took a slight flick of her wrist for the poppy to break from its stem and land gently on the Ace's hand. Carefully, Isabella tucked the flower in her hair.

For a moment, Isabella felt a sense of fullness in her being, but it quickly disappeared and once again she was consumed by emptiness. Not a complete emptiness but partial. A whole that had been left in her heart and it refused to close or even be ignored.

However, the sound of jingling bells and someone, with a very irritated voice, yelling," Fuck you," pulled her away from the feeling.

She sprinted towards the direction of the voice, while jumping over bushes and avoiding the flower beds in the process, and took a sharp turn to the left of the pink stone building to find a man yelling at one of the castle guards. The man was scowling, a very contradicted expression from the bubblegum pink shirt and orange suspenders with heart shaped patterns he wore. While yelling at be guard, who had an equally irritated expression, the man was pointing to the wooden cart behind him, about the same height as the man and but not as wide.

Without a second thought, the Ace threw herself onto the man and tackled him into a hug making him fall," Lovino~ I haven't seen you in a very long time, I missed you!" Isabella wailed while still hugging the man despite him lying on the ground. She shot the guard a look making him scurry to find another place to protect for now.

Once she was positive the guard was out of sight, Isabella turned her attention back to her friend only to realize that Lovino was having difficulty talking with his face in the dirt, "Oh! Sorry about that Lovi!" Isabella grabbed the man with one hand and effortlessly pulled him up to his feet, " I got a little too excited after hearing you would be arriving today from Feli," She offered him a sheepish grin to show her sincerity.

The Italian man scoffed and rolled his eyes, " Yeah, right..." He grumbled, " and I'm sure receiving a special package from Antonio has nothing to do with it," Lovino proceeded to dust the dirt off his shirt.

"It doesn't! I'm just really happy to able another family member!" Isabella flailed her arms at her cousin and stared into his amber orbs.

"Oh? Then I guess it's alright if I hold to it until I leave?" Lovino arched an eyebrow with a devious smirk on his thin lips.

"T-That's beside the point!"

"I don't see how?"

" I really did miss you, Lovino!"

"Really?"

"Really!"

Lovino closed his eyes in contemplation, "Mmm... Nope, I think I'll hang on to it," He grinned showing off his dimpled cheeks. 

_Uh! How infuriating!_ The Ace of Heart's yelled inwardly, but making her frustration appear physically as a flushed face. _  
_

"You're so mean!" She pouted, cheeks puffing involuntarily making them look like ripe apples, " This is why you don't have a girlfriend!" Isabella stuck her tongue out at him.

"That's none of your business!" Now it was Lovino's cheeks that looked like apples and for Isabella to smirk knowing she hit a nerve in her cruel cousin and enjoying feeling superior against him.

However, she just as quickly laughed it off , placed a hand on her older cousin's shoulder, and began apologizing, " I'm sorry I said that. I know you'll find a fine woman to marry," She offered him a smile and a strong, reassuring look.

He didn't return her gaze and faintly replied, "That's impossible...," but before Isabella got the chance to comment Lovino added, " How are you?"

It took a minute for the words to register, but when it did Isabella stood up straighter, hid her hands behind her back, and she vaguely added, with a bright smile, " Good!"

"... I've known you for over a decade. I can tell when you're lying, Isabella." He rolled his eyes and shot her a threatening glare as if she were belittling him.

Her hands gripped each other and she could feel her back tense, an although she tried her hardest her smile fell. There was a short pause before one of them sighed, " Everything... has been a mess. We're on the brink of war, I can feel it. Kingdom's are beginning to turn on each other. I'm teaching people how to kill. It's just that I-- I-I..." 

Lovino regretted prying into the matter. Yes, he heard about the war, not definite but as rumor, that was the reason why he'd agreed to hang out with his brother Feliciano; to distract from his job as the Jack of the Heart's Kingdom. Now, seeing his cousin, a child two years younger than he, forced to abandon her moral in order to do her part in the royal deck; a female with dainty shoulders burdened by the weight in gallons filled to the brim by blood of the lives she's taken or yet to take. If only she were normal. If only she didn't bare the mark of Heart's. If only Antonio and he hadn't stumbled in the garden.

"... I'm sorry."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_"We're not supposed to be here! This is Spade country, you idiot!" One boys hissed quietly. It was almost evening in the Kingdom of Spade, but neither boy looked concerned because the blue land ran an two hours ahead of their Kingdom's time. They stood outside the thorny fence of the castle on the side was 400 meters from the forest._

_The other a boy, three years older than the first, rolled his eyes, "Relax, Lovino. No one is going to pay attention to two Heart citizens when they're kids," then continued to snip branch after branch in order to create a whole big enough for the two to fit through._

_"They will if we are acting suspiciously, which we are you jack's ass! Besides I'm sure the woman was lying to us when she gave us these directions," Lovino waved the piece paper in front of the older boy's face who ignored his effort, "Antonio, there's absolutely now way your half-sister is living in the Spade's castle!"_

_"The lady looked sincere enough and I just have to check! This is it! I can feel it!"_

_"What if it's not?" the younger one challenged," Do we end up going home to mother hollering, 'where the fuck have you two been?' and you acting all depressed for days on end until you get up the nerve to go look for her again?"_

_"It could be!" Antonio wasn't going to give up, not when he was so close to finally meeting his sister in the flesh and not by the mere words of his deceased mother's diary. Antonio had always lived with his aunt, from what he remembered, and his mother had always been the darkest shadow of his life. He never really got the chance to see her because of her tendency to disappear for long periods at time and only coming back on rare occasions like his birthday, bright and early before disappearing again. When he was informed of her death, he didn't know if he had the right to cry like his aunt, since he never really knew her and his aunt barely uttered a syllable about her. However on the that very day, his aunt, the scowling woman, gave him a torn book with the pages threatening to fall and told him to read it; and so he did. He learned of her life as a soiled woman, raped by an unknown man and giving birth to his son and loving the baby; a life looking for work and love, until she found it but with the wrong man. The man was married but he also loved her and with their love they had a child, not planned of course, and she gave the child up to the man she loved, so his sister could have a better life.  
_

_Two years have gone-bye and he was still searching._

_"Okay, wise guy. Say, we do manage to find her in here. What then? What will you do?" Lovino had wrapped himself in the coils of Antonio's search by his mother's, Antonio's aunt, command. He wasn't happy about it because of how much trouble they always ended up in and his patience was running thin, " Has it ever occurred to you that she may just send the guards to ex--"_

_"I did it! Come on, let's go Lovino!" Antonio squeezed his body through. With a shaky sigh, Lovino followed him._

_The boys expected a guard to be waiting on the other side, a bush with thorn, an assassin, a servant to call the guards, a dragon, monster, poison, window. They expected a lot of things boys their age could think of, which is why they never imagined to come face-to-face with yet another green, thorny wall belonging to a labyrinth. Shock was apparent on both their faces because now... what were they going to do?_

_"Let's go this way." Antonio pointed to the only opening within the wall, grabbed young Lovino's hand, and try to guide them out before his cousin came back to his senses and bolt.  
_

_Surprisingly, it didn't take long for the boys to find their way out or catch sight of something blue, brown, and moving among the bushes of the labyrinth's entrance. As they got closer, the brown turned darker and into volumes of curly brown hair; the blue became bright as the sky, a dress with dark-blue spades adorning the sides and silk sleeves. It was a girl, that was obvious, probably younger than Lovino for her head barely reached the top of the small bush. They hadn't realized they were still moving, no until Antonio carelessly set his hand the bush and jerk it back, hissing from the pain._

_The girl jumped at his noise and snapped her head their way. Her face revealed the color of her skin to be the same brown tone as Antonio's; her eyes, as she looked at them with little horror and more curiosity, were blue; and perched on the hair that was also similar to the older boy's, having no significance, was a flower they had never seen before, a strange blue flower the shade of the evening sky. As green and amber eyes met blue the girl tilted her head and asked, " Who are you?"_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"... Don't be," Isabella whispered. _I was lonely before you both came_.

Shaking her head to get rid off the glum the atmosphere, Isabella smiled and asked her cousin, " Do you have a lot to deliver before you go hang out with Feli?'

Lovino heard her questioned and pondered, " Just for the King, Queen, and you."

"Oh, I can take care of the Queen's mail for you, I'm on my way to see him anyway, and I'm sure you can just give Feli the King's mail to pass on." She offered the man and held out her hands.

 _Still chasing after queens I see_ , he frowned inwardly.

He narrowed his eyes and bit the inside of his cheek, but he gave up and nodded. Lovino, the young mailman, walked to his cart and grabbed the large grain bag that looked like a deflated balloon. Reaching inside, he pulled out a red colored envelope covered by grass stain, three blue envelopes, and a small brown box wrapped in paper. He handed the box and red envelope to Isabella.

"If you haven't noticed already, the crappy looking envelope is for you," He smirked and Isabella responded by sticking her tongue out. His amber eyes finally caught sight of the poppy resting on her ear and his mouth twisted at the sight of it, It doesn't suit her. With his hand, he softly took the flower out of her hair.

Isabella gently slapped his hand away and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, " Bye, bye, Lovi! Please come back soon! And tell me when you end up courting the girl you like!" And she ran off.

"Idiot," Lovino looked at the three envelopes still in his one hand, they were all identical in color and size but none were addressed to the King and only one was addressed to the Queen, " How can I even think about courting her when I've been doing nothing but hurting her while following orders?" 

Letting go of the poppy, he walked away to find his brother unaware that he had also stepped on said flower; mauling three of the four petals.


	4. The Queen

Inside the castle, up the stairs, down the hall, through the room of the Queen's personnel library was a door left slightly ajar letting in light from the outside of the Queen's garden; a land filled with pebbles and rocks, with few vegetation growing on the stones or floor, a pool of water with koi fish to the left, a shrub here, a shrub there, and, finally the only touch of Heart's, a beautiful tree frail and tall with branches upon branches of small, pink flowers blooming. A sight only a handful of servants had the honor of seeing.

And as expected, the Ace and Queen--no-- Isabella and Kiku sat side-by-side, two feet away, on the porch with empty teacups on opposite sides and their mail placed on the ground below Isabella's dangling feet. Idle conversation was made (what was learned what they did) with the occasional joke or amusing story told resulting in quiet chuckles or rare smiles from the Queen.

Oh, how dearly Isabella treasured her tea time with her friend. The short raven-haired man (whose body and face looked feminine, elegant when wrapped in the traditional kimono robes made especially for him) as a friend and not Queen. They exchanged idle prattle about their day, with the occasional joke or story told resulting in light chuckles or rare smiles from Kiku. He was pretty, if not cuter, when he smiled and more so when it was genuine; hazel eyes bright and rounded making him look girlish and delicate. But looks can be deceiving, she learned from her time living with him in the castle. However, their time together never lasted for more than an hour, if it went past that then it was on a good day when they weren't expected to perform their duties as Ace or Queen. Still, they made sure to at least sneak a tea-break in or two in order to see each other, a clear indication that meant she wasn't the only one who enjoyed spending time with the other.

So she spread her hands on either side, gloves taken off, leaned back on them, looked at the sky, and actively listened to Kiku go on about the recent book he read from a Club's writer. She basked in his company, liking his voice a little too much, as hazy images of a man formed her mind. The man became clearer as he went into more detail of the man's transformation into a hideous, grotesque beast an abomination to even God himself. It wasn't until the introduction of another character that Isabella felt movement, coming near her bare (because holding a teacup with gloves proves to be difficult) left hand.

With her head a little up-right, not willing to move to cause Kiku to stop mid-story, she titled her head to the left and discretely looked down and inhaled. Just inches apart wasn't the insect or pebble she was half-expecting, but the Queen's right hand, no longer in his lap. Her eyes flickered to him elated fear of what it might mean. He was still speaking, thankfully, going on with the next part of the story she was no longer listening to. He was calm, acting as usual, but the more she looked the more she could see beyond his neutral facade. There was a rosy tint to the cheek she could see, his Adam's apple bobbed with every persistent attempt to keep his hair tucked behind his ear, and his hand, when she moved her face down again, shook as it closed another inch of distance. In fear of rejection.

Letting out a shaky breath, his attempt was clear as well as his message. She would be the one to jerk her hand away, to stop his shaking hand from reaching hers. Which wasn't fair at all, she thought. Every fiber of her brain was screaming for her to do the right thing as the Ace of Heart's she was while her thundering heart told her to do the complete opposite.

And when she made up her mind, knowing what to do, what the right thing to do was. She swallowed, feeling her nervousness prickle her throat, and as Isabella, she stretched her pinky and felt his skin brush hers in a very pathetic gesture. Slowly, she felt his pinky link with hers.

Kiku didn't say word, he was done telling the story as soon as he felt her light brush, nor did Isabella. Quietly, they sat, listening to their own accelerated heart beats but not daring to look at their crime. At The Ace's crime, she could have stopped it or give in to the pathetic, tender caress the Queen dared himself to offer.

But now was not the time to think about it as so. Instead, she once again lavished at her friend's gesture and ignored the very warning her mentor had threatened into her young Ace mind. For at least this moment, when they weren't Heart Queen and Ace, marked Kiku or Isabella. No, they were just an ordinary man and an ordinary woman. Nothing more.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_"Do you know about the curse among our Kingdom?" Asked the Ace's mentor. They were both outside at night, long past a regular child's bedtime, knifes in hand waiting. And as the old mentor began explaining Isabella's task for the day, he noticed the young Ace had not been listening. Though he had at first dismissed it as fatigue because she was not used to staying up so late, it had been more than five days, more than enough time for any Ace's body and mind to adapt._

_Isabella, in order to not be scolded, explained what was bothering her. Apparently, her friend the young Jack of Heart's had been acting unusual for the past several days. He was still as peppy as always, but the little girl and others had noticed how he would avoid the young Heart's King. If the Jack happened to see the King, his smile would disappear and his eyes would never meet his. If the King were to talk to the Jack, the Jack would reply with, "Yes sir, or no sir," completely avoiding the use of his actual name. He also no longer clung to him or seeks his company. When asked the Jack would quickly deny all accusations and end up going into his room, locking the door._

_After she told her tale, the Ace's mentor looked neither surprised nor pleased at the thought's that had been distracting her from her lesson, until the young girl finished with, " So I won't be able to help Feli and I really want to! Because I can, whenever I see his eyes, tell that he wants to cry just as badly as Ludwig. He doesn't want to avoid him."_

_It seemed the mentor had a heart, or decided in that moment to give her another important lesson about being part of the royal deck, though whatever it was, at that moment he asked the young Isabella, " Do you know what the Kingdom of Heart's represents among the other Kingdoms?"_

_"For love and affection, if I recall."_

_The old man nodded, " Then do you know what in our kingdom symbolizes so?"_

_Isabella wasn't sure, so she shook her head. He huffed but answered, " Marriage. The bond between two people by love is the symbol of our Kingdom. More specifically the marriage between the King and Queen."_

_Processing the new information, Isabella nodded her head in understanding, " I see," However, for some reason, she just couldn't quite picture Ludwig and Kiku marrying each other for such a reason. How odd that heart squeezed when she thought about it._

_"Young Ace," Her mentor spoke with authority, "Do you know about the curses that lay in each of the four Kingdoms?"_

_She thought back, trying to remember anything she read in the library or Arthur mentioned such a thing. When she came up with nothing, she shook her head, " I don't recall anything about them."_

_"In each Kingdom, as an exchange for having special abilities to protect the people of every country and an emblem; the royal deck is destined to suffer," He coughed and wheezed as if it took a lot of strain to even get to the point, " Spade's deck, representing power in force, is plagued by paranoia, greed, and possessiveness. Diamond, representing wealth both monetary and materialistically, can have whatever they desire with greed but never need (truly want). Club's, representing luck, have control over fortunes but with their power they will be blamed for every bad thing that happens and feared. Pitiful, I know." But he didn't show it._

_Though, Isabella couldn't help but show her pity for the other decks, something she wasn't allowed to do but didn't get scolded for that night, "Now Heart's, I say, is the Kingdom that should be most pitied. It represents love, compassion, affection, for all things. Heart's deck suffers from never feeling real love for their partner. They may find it, but it is something that will never be, especially from the King and Queen. Unlike the other Kingdoms where mistresses and lovers are common, we represent a thing that can neither be seen nor measured, our symbol comes from the empty union between the King and Queen to remind not only our people but the citizens elsewhere that we have a more valuable asset."_

_And so he finished, and she achieved her task. It would take a few more years for Isabella to fully understand the conversation she had with her mentor that night, and the ones to follow. But as she was now, she translated his words as Feliciano was upset that he and Ludwig could never be with the people they love._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They remained in the same position as before, not speaking, not looking at each other, and pinkies entwined. It wasn't until Isabella felt Kiku's hand try to move closer that she pulled away. She faked a yawn before stretching in order to have an excuse for her action. Isabella didn't want to hurt his feelings, but she had to set a limit. It was in their best interest, and more for the Queen's than hers.

"What do you think is in the package you received, Kiku?" She made sure her voice came out like always, curious with a pinch of enthusiasm. Then she looked at him.

It took him a moment to answer, he was looking at his hand as he contemplated, " I wonder as well. Maybe the vials for tonight's lectures or the thing I requested from your cousin," he offered a wry smile but still didn't look at her eyes.

"Hmm..." She managed to answer as her heart was currently stuck in her throat.

"... Would you like to help me open it?" He asked breaking their uncomfortable silence and offering a very small upturn at the corner of his mouth, though it didn't reach his eyes.

However, Isabella nodded enthusiastically, her interest beginning to peak and serve as a forced distraction. Hopping off from the porch she picked up the envelope and box and gave them to him, then hopped back on. She moved a little closer to the Queen, in order to see causing another almost-smile from his lips (whether it be from her enthusiasm or the close proximity). Carefully, he ripped one side and they were interrupted. A male servant knocked on the door and Isabella quickly scooted away from her spot. When Kiku replied with a, "Come in," the servant did so.

He bowed, "I'm sorry to interrupt your Majesty, but I have a message for the Ace from the General," he handed the letter to the Ace.

"Oh, I've been wondering when I'd get this. Thank you," and he dismissed himself.

Once they heard two doors shut, Kiku asked curiously, " Is it the training schedule you will take the fourteen knights to?"

She nodded, " While, you give your medicine lecture and the General has his sparing night, I'll be helping these guys out. I wouldn't want to see anyone get hurt during battle because of inefficient training."

Isabella sighed and looked at the sky, only to notice that it was in a different place than before. Suddenly, she stood after realizing she spent a lot more time with the Queen than intended, " I'm sorry, my Queen," She returned to her formal speech and ignored the slight frown, " But I have some work I need to finish before this evening," bowing like the servant, " Thank you for letting me join you for tea," with one last smile she turned leave or at least tried.

She felt a hand wrap itself on her wrist, stopping her and almost making her trip. Isabella turned, though she already knew who it was. Blue eyes met hazel and the grip tightened. As she said before, looks can be deceiving and they were for all Ace's were only _as_ strong as the King or Queen. The Heart's Queen was definitely stronger than her and he knew it. All Isabella could think about, as she stared back into those hazel eyes and expressionless mask, helpless, was when she found herself in a similar situation not too long ago.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_It was a month after the meeting of the Four Kingdoms, tensions where high, and it even made Feliciano cry, at the mention of war. Isabella had been on high alert and refused to rest until the feeling went away. Finally, after much convincing from both the General and Feliciano, she had agreed to just tighten security around the castle. But the feeling of someone spying on the Heart's royals did not leave._

_That was how she found herself in the Queen's room_ , _guarding him from the awful feeling. He had just finished taking a shower and was only wearing a white robe, slightly soaked from his hair and body. The Ace was not fazed in the least, she had to protect the Queen, her friend; that was her only priority. With a smile, she greeted her friend and walked from the door to the bed and sat down. She didn't want him to feel awkward so she beckoned him to come and they chatted like they do everyday in the garden around teatime, though it lasted longer, neither complained._

_Maybe, if she had been more self-aware, more sensitive to others feelings instead of thinking by instinct alone, the Ace would have noticed the edge to the Queen; their proximity, the atmosphere, the way he looked at her, or the strangeness that Kiku had **let** her in. If she had then maybe when she wouldn't have taken-up on his suggestion to come into his room. She wouldn't have been pulled down by her wrist and her lips wouldn't have met his in such a desperate way._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Isabella's face felt hot under the gaze of her Queen, and a little, a lot, uncomfortable as she saw his hand start to move towards her causing her to tug, "Ki-Kiku, I-I really have to go--"

Her red envelope and gloves were in front of her face, surprising the Ace that she had actually forgot something so important, " Don't forget to take these with you, Isabella," He smiled, mirth evident in his hazel eyes--from her reaction, no doubt-- before letting go of her hand.

With a bow and hurried, "Thank you!" She left.


	5. Sin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning mild sexual content.

"Do you think she's been laid?" A spiky-haired blond dressed in thin steel and Heart's emblem engraved over his right breast, asked in the proceeding twilight. The sun was not providing much light through their location whether it by how dense the forest was of tree life or by the fact that the time had gone past twilight.

"Matthias! Don't say such vulgar things! Especially about a member of our deck!" A blushing soldier, the youngest by far in the groups of fourteen knights, screeched. His cheeks a magnificent shade of red, white-blonde hair partially sticking out, and violet eyes searching the area frantically in case the person they were talking about heard.

"Aw, come on Emil! You can't tell me that question hadn't crossed your mind since being in camp?" Matthias arched a brow with a more than amused smirk on his lips, "I mean we all have at one point, right guys?" No one agreed, but then again they weren't denying it either.

Emil spluttered a few non-sense sentences before yelling an astonished, "No!"

"Mhm, right." He turned away from the boy and addressed the others in the group, "So what do you guys think?"

"I don't know, man. She looks too uptight for that." One commented.

"Are you kidding me? The uptight ones are always the most perverted!" Another commented.

"So she has? Then who? The King?" One countered.

"Which one?" They all laughed.

"All, you Jackass."

And so they continued, more like Isabella let them continue. It was better for them to get rid of their current unease and anxiety for the "routines" she had in mind for them. The Ace thought as she sat behind a tree not too far from the group of fourteen Heart's knights. Though, she will give them a good beating for not being able to identify her presence.

Her head rested on the trunk listening to their "man's conversation" and restraining the urge to laugh at their far-fetched assumptions. Sleeping with the kings of all four kingdoms? Preposterous! If not idiotic, close to insane... With a sigh, her amusement fell and her eyes lingered at the looming darkness in the forest, _they're not too far from the mark_... Isabella closed her eyes and bit her lips.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_The kiss was long, hungry, and desperate, but it didn't go farther than lips on lips, their lips bruising from the strong pressure the Que-- Kiku-- was adding. His hands still held the bewildered Ace's wrists captive, though the feeling of touching was starting to build through every level of his body. Slowly, his hands began to unclasp and move to either side of Isabella's head on the mat, used for the Queen's bed, but he did not once break their current contact._

_So many thoughts should have been racing through the Ace's--Isabella's-- head. What should she do? She should push him off. What if someone sees? Comes in? This is bad. Really, really bad. This is a sin, a crime. Why is he doing this? Heart's would fall apart. Why did he let go? Is he testing her? Does he want her to stop it? Decide?_ Then Push him off. Push him off. Push him off. PUSH HIM OFF!! 

_But she didn't, she simply couldn't as she stared wide-eyed at the beautiful man, Queen, she served; able to study his porcelain face closely. Isabella was a foolish child barely out of her teens. She felt attraction, attachment, desire, for what she could never have, or so her mentor had told her when she told him about her newly discovered feelings, that was all. The only cure is to pay no mind. That could be her excuse as she clutched the Queen's robe, crinkling the material in the process, and pulling him closer. The texture of his lips soft but fierce on her own._

_Surprised, Kiku's hazel eyes flitted open taking in the scene of his Ace and adoring it. Her eyes shut tightly causing creases to appear on her forehead, gloved hands continuing to grab fistfuls of his bath robe, her hair sprayed on the mat, and her face lightly dusted in color. This only encouraged the Queen to smash his lips further and let both arms to wrap around her waist in a more than intimate hug; it had been years since their last hug, it was looked down upon when Isabella reached ten years of age. In a way, he hoped she would get the message._

_Isabella was unsure of what to do after allowing herself the audacity of clutching a man's, Kiku's, robes and letting him continue. She became even more unsure of her actions after feeling herself be encircled by the waist, thus causing more pressure to the kiss, causing her growing flush to grow further. What should I do now? The thought came automatically. With her eyes still shut, she awkwardly removed her hands from wrinkling the white robe further and tried pathetically to copy his movements and circle her arms around his waist. Isabella felt his mouth move slightly, heightening her desire to have her eyes remain shut._

_No doubt, he had smirked into the kiss finding her innocent actions both amusing (the look on her face) and irritating (hands on his waist). Never had he expected Isabella to be so unadulterated, not that he was expecting it or unsatisfied (he was really satisfied). Knowing he would have never been able to see such an expression or discover a new part of her under normal circumstances, it prompted, more aroused, Kiku to nip her slightly chapped lips. He continued to bite as his arms slipped out and he separated their bodies. One arm began to roam a side of her body, while the other held her face, his thumb rubbing just beneath her eyes trying make her worries cease._

  
_It worked, as the creases on Isabella's forehead and eyes began to disappear and, surprising Kiku yet again, shyly opening her mouth to let him in. A high pitched, "_ Mmph," _emerged from her mouth before settling herself down. The feeling of another tongue inside her mouth was foreign, but not displeasing, she had to admit, nor was the skim he was exhibiting with his hands around her body. Though she did find the groans that resonated from her throat every time he licked a certain part, entwined their tongues, or move deeper into her oral cavity, to be highly embarrassing, but she didn't have the will to tell him to stop. She was getting used to the kiss._

_Letting her guard down was, perhaps, the reason the Queen had pressed their bodies together again in a certain position that connected the lower regions exposing to the young Ace to his arousal where he proceeded to buck._

_On contact, Isabella's blue eyes snapped opened and with the power of sheer panic, pushed the Queen off and scurried to farthest side of the room. A monstrous blush spread all over the panting girl who clutched at her heart trying to calm down the excitement and heat that had been accumulated for some time. She blinked several times and her visions swept the room frantically, unsure if she was looking for an escape herself._

_The Queen had landed on his bum, robe open and hanging on one shoulder, and palms planted on the ground to keep him from tumbling over. His eyes were hidden behind his raven-hair that was normally tucked behind his ears, that he refused to cut. He was also panting._

_Neither said a word for the longest time as the room filled with sound of irregular breaths and heartbeats. The tension, whatever it may be at this point, was becoming unbearable for the Ace as she flipped her sweat drenched hair to the right side and began to speak,_ " I-I better leave." _She stood but wobbled making it hard for her to dash out of the room but easy to be stopped._

 _Kiku had wrapped himself behind the girl, his face around the back of her neck, and arms forming an unbreakable chain around her torso,_ "Don't go," _he pleaded subsequently nuzzling her neck and trailing his hands around her clothed body, particularly her breasts and stomach. He could hear Isabella begin to pant causing him to unconsciously kiss the left side of her neck where an intricate design of a heart and letter "A" had been hidden by a surplus of long curly hair._

_One hand hurriedly covered the mark as Isabella pulled away again. How could he have done that?! Such an, an, inappropriate gesture!_

" I want you," _he answered her unspoken question._

_Her blood boiled up to her cheeks. She gulped, but didn't leave, instead she turned around to find Kiku--the Queen-- both-- no longer wearing the robe and revealing the small chain of black hearts that adorned his Queen's mark from the front of his left shoulder to a large portion of his back. The very thing that stopped her from returning what he was doing. However, she didn't miss his finely sculpted body of muscles hidden behind the layers he wore on a day to day basis. A craving to touch them began to burn, but she wouldn't act on it, she shouldn't act on it, couldn't. Her blue eyes lowered to the ground to not look._

_However, the Ace side of her had been pushed back somewhere within the depths of her unconscious mind, only got a little time, she argued. As the young woman unknowingly, obscenely muttered,_ " I want you, too."

_From there all rhyme and reason left the two as they found themselves gripping for dear life in a real, desire driven kiss full of groans, moans, and wet sounds, until it occurred to the two, when Isabella bucked, that one still had their clothes on. They both tried to rip the fabric at the same time but ended up falling to the ground in a mess of tangled limbs wanting to find each other again._

_Somehow, Kiku and Isabella had managed to not only remove the clothes, but to also move from the hard wooden ground (made especially for the Queen) to the "bed." Once on the bed, Kiku no longer hesitated in moving kissing from her mouth to the tan skin of her neck, careful to not leave any marks like Isabella had commanded through stutters. It had left him unsatisfied in a way, but smirked as an idea arose in his mind, "give me one... please," he asked sweetly._

_Her expression had been priceless and the incoherent phrases she splurged did not help in her defense. So in the end, she brought her lips to his right shoulder and as instructed began to lick at his skin and suck repeatedly until a dark blue-purple bruise blossomed on the white skin of the Queen. Isabella blushed and looked away and squeaked as Kiku brought her to his lap and hugged her in appreciation._

_With her face in his chest Isabella could feel his heart rate and just like her own it was a chaotic rhythm, but it soothed her to an almost lull. Perhaps thinking that this was as far as they would go. However, her thoughts were proven wrong she tensed at an unfamiliar feeling of stimulation coming from her lower extremities by Kiku's long, graceful fingers. She wanted to scream at the strange feeling but repressed it with all her power and only letting out mewls and whimpers and the occasional meek sound of his name before she bit at her swollen lips. She felt a large pit of fire in her stomach and the urge to cry out was becoming realistic.  
_

_It wasn't until he took his fingers away that her muscles relaxed and the burning stopped. However, that wasn't the end. Gently, she was laid on the mat worth her face facing Kiku's hovering front, "... Relax," he said and before any questioning could be asked he inserted himself. Isabella cried and began scratching at the sheets, her blue eyes full of tears and body convoluted around this new experience. Kiku kissed her, unable to say anything as his face also showed pain, tenderly on her forehead and back to her mouth as he continued until their years and years of pent up feelings could be satisfied.  
_

_Without uttering the three words that would condemned them, both._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was time to start, Isabella told herself as she stepped out from behind the tree and made her way toward the fourteen's location.

No one saw her coming and she sighed, _This should be interesting_.

 

 


End file.
